Shakespeare-loving teacher Elliot Dunn has been unhappy living in the big city for a long time. He yearns for fresh air, visible stars, and stillness, but his relationship with divorce lawyer Mick Hudson keeps him from moving away. When a dramatic event occurs in Elliot’s class, he’s shaken to his core and suddenly can’t stay anymore. He leaves his partner of two years behind and returns to the tiny town in the mountains where he grew up. Living in a rented cabin in the woods, with only an owl for company, Elliot slowly regains his peace of mind. But being away from Mick is agonizing, and when a ghost from Elliot's past pays him a visit, everything comes to a head. Elliot is faced with a hard decision. Should he stay on the stress-free mountainside alone, or return to the hustle of the city and try to make a life with Mick?

Find His Way Home

He took a couple steps back and sank down on the couch, staring at his phone like he was willing it to send the message. Then he noticed he didn’t have any service, and he groaned.


The cell reception this far out in the woods wasn’t great, but he usually had one bar or two at least.


“It’s gotta be the damn snow,” he muttered with a sigh. His fingers found their way to his beard, tugging so hard, he winced.


He was disillusioned with himself for how he’d acted after the knife incident, wishing he’d stood his ground and insisted on disciplining the student. That he’d refused the damn money that sat in his bank account, filling him with anxiety.


But most of all, he was afraid Mick would look at him one day and despise him for his choices. That even his practical and realistic partner would think Elliot made the wrong decision.


Chapter 11